Start Selling on ugyard

Ugyard is Uganda's online mall — a verified marketplace connecting local sellers with buyers across the country and beyond. If you have products to sell, this guide walks you through everything needed to open your shop, get verified, and start receiving orders.

Who Can Sell on UGyard?

Ugyard is open to registered businesses, sole proprietors, craftspeople, retailers, and distributors based in Uganda. Whether you sell physical goods, digital products, or software, there is a category for you. We currently host sellers across 29 categories — from fashion and electronics to Ugandan food, pharmacy, and the digital library.

You do not need a large operation to get started. Many of our active merchants began as individual sellers. What matters is that you can fulfill orders reliably and maintain honest listings.

What You Get as a Merchant

Every approved merchant receives access to a full suite of business tools at tools.ugyard.com. This includes:

• Your own storefront — a dedicated shop page on ugyard.com, listed alongside verified sellers
• Inventory management — add, edit, and track your product listings in one place
• Order tracking — monitor every order from placement to delivery
• Payment controls — withdraw earnings to your bank account or mobile money wallet
• Analytics and reports — see what is selling, where your buyers are coming from, and how your shop is performing
• ERP and CMS tools — manage your operations, content, and customer records without needing third-party software

Your first shop is free to open. There are no monthly fees to maintain an active listing.

The Onboarding Process

Getting your shop live involves five steps. Most merchants complete the process within a single day. Here is what to expect at each stage.

Step 1 — Create Your Account

Go to ugyard.com/register and select Merchant when prompted to choose your account type. You will be asked to provide your business name (or your name if you are a sole proprietor), a working email address, and a phone number. Set a secure password and confirm your contact details.

If you already have a customer account on UGyard, you will need to create a separate merchant account. The two are kept distinct to protect the shopping experience.

Step 2 — Verify Your Identity and Business

Ugyard operates a verified marketplace. Every seller goes through a basic identity and business check before their shop is made public. This protects buyers from fraud and protects honest sellers from unfair competition.

During verification, you will need to submit:

• A valid national ID or passport for the account holder
• Business registration documents, if your shop is a registered company (not required for sole proprietors)
• Your preferred payout method — bank account details or a registered mobile money number

Verification is typically reviewed within one business day. You will receive a confirmation by email once your account is approved.

Step 3 — Set Up Your Shop Tools

Once verified, you gain access to the merchant dashboard at tools.ugyard.com. Before listing any products, take time to configure your operational settings:

• Connect your payment and withdrawal details
• Set your fulfillment preferences — how quickly you can process and ship orders
• Define your return and exchange policy (this will be shown to buyers on your storefront)
• Familiarise yourself with the order management workflow so you are ready when sales come in

Step 4 — Build Your Storefront

Your storefront is your shop's public-facing page on ugyard.com. Buyers see your shop name, logo, description, ratings, and product listings. A complete and well-presented storefront builds trust and drives sales. At minimum, configure the following before going live:

• Shop name and logo — choose a name that is clear and easy to search for
• Shop description — briefly describe what you sell and who you serve (2–4 sentences is enough)
• Product listings — add accurate titles, prices, stock quantities, and clear photos for each item
• Category selection — place each product in the correct category so buyers can find it
• Shipping zones — specify which areas in Uganda you deliver to, and whether you ship to Dubai

Product listings that lack photos or have incomplete descriptions will not be approved for public display. Take the time to do this properly — it directly affects how much you sell.

Step 5 — Go Live and Start Selling

Once your listings meet the platform's quality standards, your shop is activated and visible to all buyers on ugyard.com. From this point, you will begin receiving orders through the dashboard. Each order triggers an automated notification. You are expected to confirm and process orders promptly — buyers are shown your typical response time on your shop page.

Payments from buyers are held securely and released to your account once delivery is confirmed. Withdrawals can be made at any time to your configured bank or mobile money account.

Selling Across Borders — Uganda and Dubai

Ugyard is built for cross-border commerce between Uganda and Dubai. If you have products suitable for buyers in the UAE — or if you source goods from Dubai for sale in Uganda — the platform supports both directions. Cross-border listings require additional shipping configuration and are subject to customs and export compliance standards. Contact [email protected] to discuss cross-border setup before activating international listings.

Payments and Payouts

Ugyard processes all buyer payments through its integrated payment system. As a seller, you do not need to handle card processing yourself. Funds from completed orders accumulate in your merchant wallet and can be withdrawn to:

• A local Ugandan bank account
• Mobile money (MTN MoMo, Airtel Money)

Payouts are processed within one to two business days of a withdrawal request. There are no minimum withdrawal amounts for mobile money. Bank transfers may have a small processing fee depending on your bank.

Ugyard also supports installment sales — buyers can split their payment over time while you receive the full amount upfront. This can increase your average order value and makes your products accessible to more buyers.

Merchant Standards

Ugyard maintains quality standards to protect both buyers and sellers. By opening a shop, you agree to uphold the following:

• Accurate listings — product descriptions, photos, and prices must reflect what the buyer actually receives
• Timely fulfillment — orders should be processed within the timeframe shown on your storefront
• Honest pricing — artificially inflated prices, hidden fees, or misleading offers are not permitted
• Responsive communication — buyer inquiries and disputes should be addressed within 24 hours
• Compliance — products must be legal, properly categorised, and compliant with Ugandan trade regulations

Shops that consistently fall below these standards may be suspended or removed from the platform. UGyard's dispute resolution team reviews all flagged cases and makes final decisions on contested orders.

Merchant Support

If you run into any difficulty during onboarding — or have questions about listings, payouts, or cross-border selling — our merchant support team is available to help. Reach out before opening your shop if you are unsure about any part of the process. It is easier to get things right at the start than to correct them after you are live.